Mike Singleton – VG247https://www.vg247.com
VG247.comThu, 17 Aug 2017 20:50:51 +0000en-UShourly1https://wordpress.org/?v=4.5.3Midwinter remake coming in 2015 from Chilli Hugger Softwarehttps://www.vg247.com/2014/01/10/midwinter-remake-coming-in-2015-from-chilli-hugger-software/
https://www.vg247.com/2014/01/10/midwinter-remake-coming-in-2015-from-chilli-hugger-software/#commentsFri, 10 Jan 2014 05:46:25 +0000http://www.vg247.com/?p=439074Midwinter, the classic Amiga survival adventure by the late Mike Singleton, will be remade in HD for release next year – making good on a promise from early 2013.

Singleton’s estate has given the project its blessing, and original programmer Dave Gautrey will reprise his role.

A Kickstarter will go live early this year to help fund development with release expected in early 2015 on PC and as yet unannounced consoles.

Midwinter first released in 1989, well ahead of the post-apocalyptic trend. It had players exploring a harsh, snowy environment, and blended adventure, RPG, survival, strategy and simulation elements in a compelling but challenging mix.

The Lords of Midnight is an iconic adventure game that sees players embarking on a quest to destroy the evil witchking Doomdark, and to recruit fellow adventurers in the war against his forces. It was highly innovative for its day and should come as a treat to fans of the fantasy genre.

]]>https://www.vg247.com/2013/07/12/the-lords-of-midnight-classic-spectrum-remake-hits-pc-today/feed/3Midwinter, The Lords of Midnight: 30th Anniversary Edition inboundhttps://www.vg247.com/2013/02/26/midwinter-the-lords-of-midnight-30th-anniversary-edition-inbound/
https://www.vg247.com/2013/02/26/midwinter-the-lords-of-midnight-30th-anniversary-edition-inbound/#respondTue, 26 Feb 2013 21:43:49 +0000http://www.vg247.com/?p=344121Chris Wild has announced plans to remake the late Mike Singleton’s classic adventure Midwinter, as well as produce an expanded version of The Lords of Midnight with 3D rendering called the 30th Anniversary Edition. Rock, Paper, Shotgun reports Wild’s plans are in the tentative stages, and he’s keen to hear from others who’d like to participate in the projects. Singleton passed away in October, but long-term colleague Wild continued on with an iOS re-release of The Lords of Midnight anyway.
]]>https://www.vg247.com/2013/02/26/midwinter-the-lords-of-midnight-30th-anniversary-edition-inbound/feed/0The Lords of Midnight developer yet to break evenhttps://www.vg247.com/2013/01/09/the-lords-of-midnight-developer-yet-to-break-even/
https://www.vg247.com/2013/01/09/the-lords-of-midnight-developer-yet-to-break-even/#commentsWed, 09 Jan 2013 22:09:55 +0000http://www.vg247.com/?p=328704The Lords of Midnight was released on iOS last month but port developer Chris Wild is yet to see any profit.

In a new blog post, Wild said the 1980s adventure has shifted around 2,000 units, which after tax and Apple’s cut, has failed to recoup his costs.

Wild doesn’t seem to mind – he chose to split the profits – but as this game was written by the late Mike Singleton and motivated in part by his passing, it seems a shame that so few people have taken advantage of this chance to enjoy a fitting tribute to a great creative.

The Lords of Midnight was a really interesting game which can be played in three ways – as an adventure, as a strategy game, or both at the same time. It utilised some neat little tricks to depict events from a first-person perspective, and was actually thought to be impossible to win by Singleton until players proved him wrong.

]]>https://www.vg247.com/2013/01/09/the-lords-of-midnight-developer-yet-to-break-even/feed/2Mike Singleton: UK gaming pioneer passes away aged 61https://www.vg247.com/2012/10/16/mike-singleton-uk-gaming-pioneer-passes-away-aged-61/
https://www.vg247.com/2012/10/16/mike-singleton-uk-gaming-pioneer-passes-away-aged-61/#commentsTue, 16 Oct 2012 09:33:09 +0000http://www.vg247.com/?p=307293Mike Singleton, one of the driving forces in the British gaming industry during the 1980s and beyond has passed away at the aged of 61, after losing a battle with cancer.

Singleton was a game developer and author, having created classic titles including The Lords of Midnight, Doomdark’s Revenge, Throne of Fire, Dark Sceptre and War In Middle-earth. His final game credit was on 2009’s racer GRID from Codemasters.

The developer made a name for himself among the ZX Spectrum circuit, first catching the eye of Sir Clive Sinclair with his 1980 game compilation GamesPack1, which crammed many games into an – at the time – unfathomably small amount of data.

Singleton was interviewed by Edge in 2005, and revealed that he still had all of the source code for every one of his releases, “I still have a cardboard box at home full of 100 five-minute tapes which comprise the source code and the graphics of Lords Of Midnight and all the back-ups and back-ups of back-ups.”

He was also inspired by new gaming technology, “New technology is even more exciting than the old was, even in its day. Our imaginations are still racing to catch up with what’s possible now. There’s so much more scope for creativity now. In five or six years’ time, there will be categories of game no one’s dreamed of.”

News of Singleton’s death first appeared on Giant Bomb, where a forum user – and preious employee of Singleton – paid his respects:

“Singleton was my first employer, I used to go straight from school to his company for his wisdom and generosity, He was an amazing boss, single father of two young boys but most importantly he was my friend”.

“The last 12 months where hard for him he was diagnosed with cancer of the jaw and had to have it removed but he always kept his spirits up, I even sat with him in our local pub for our first post-op beer! Alas last week he died in Switzerland of natural causes.”

Singleton’s impact has been noted through the volume of tributes currently being paid to his work on Twitter and other social channels. It’s clear that his contribution to the UK industry has proven to be significant, and we wish his family and friends all the best during these difficult times.

Did you play Lords of Midnight back in the day? Are you a fan of Singleton’s work? Share your thoughts below.